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In an effort to save lives when responding to a narcotics overdose emergency, including morphine and heroin, pharmacists in Illinois can now complete a web-based training course that will allow them to dispense Naloxone, a drug that can help counter the effects of an overdose.

If a certified pharmacist completes the Illinois State Opioid Antagonist Training Program, he or she could – without prescription – dispense Naloxone to first responders, school nurses, or other people in danger of a risk of an overdose. Naloxone can be given by injection or as a nasal spray.

The Illinois Department of Financial and Professional Regulation reports the rate of overdose deaths involving opioids, including prescription pain relievers and heroin, is up four times since 1999. In 2014, Illinois had more than 1,700 opioid overdose deaths, according to the Centers for Disease Control.